Part 45: As Necessity Demands

As Necessity Demands

A short but text-heavy update wherein Solution betrays the Awakened and joins the Takers.



You make your way to Kazg. The vlish trio clusters nearby, conferring as always in their subtle language of scents and magic. Your glaahks keep you between them as always, tails brandished proudly as though to dare the Takers to come get some.

"What dealings do you wish to have with me, Shaper?" Gnorrel asks.

"I haven't slain Ellhrah, and I won't. No deeds. I will work with you, and help you, but I will not be tested by you," you tell her.

Gnorrel thinks about this. It is clear that she needs your help more than she wants to let on. Finally, she sighs. "Fine, then. We will have to trust you. If you wish, you can ally yourself with us. But beware. You turn on us, and we will destroy you. Do not doubt that we can do it."

Here's the dialogue you get if the Takers don't like you enough.

"We have heard what you said to the other serviles. Rumors travel. We know what you think. We don‘t think you feel serviles should be free. Talk to others, and, if you say the right things, we might believe you really feel we should be free."

I hecked up during the conversation by choosing some wrong result, so Gnorrel refused Solution's union application. In a slightly less stupid world, the following occurs. Also, to prevent having the same problem I did, make sure you take one more freedom-affirming dialogue choice than Solution does (or do one of the "kill this servant mind!" quests) so you have extra insurance.

"You have chosen wisely. Others can beg for your help, but only we can give you power in return for it. All that remains is this.

"Do you swear to aid the Takers, to fight for the Takers, to even slay your own kind if that is what is required for us to take our freedom?" Gnorrel asks.

"I do so swear," you reply.

Gnorrel nods sharply. "Then we are your allies. We must speak farther. I will tell you of what has been happening on Sucia Island, and how we can help you." She hands you a key. "This key opens all of our resources to you. You will need them, if you are to do what is required."

"I'm trying to find a boat. Where can I find one?" you ask. You hope her answer is the same as the Sholai rebels'.

"There is a boat not far to the northeast. It is owned by the Sholai. It is their only boat. They will let you use it when they are ready." Once more, the serviles are not able to give you the help you really need, but at least Gnorrel's answer matches up with everything else you've heard and seen.

"I want to talk to you about what's happening on this island."

"And there is much you should learn. There are humans on this island who have come from far across the western sea. They are from a people called the Sholai. They are helping us, and we are helping them. We all have many great plans, but to make them come about, we need the help of a Shaper," she says.

"Who is leading the Sholai?"

"Their leader’s name is Trajkov. He was the captain of the band of explorers who sailed over the sea. When they landed here, they found the secrets of the Shapers, and it was he who decided to master them."

"What is Trajkov trying to do?" you ask. You doubt she knows more than you do about any of these matters, but the value of confirmation really can't be overstated.

"In the research warrens to the north, he has found something, an incredibly powerful, hidden Shaper artifact called the Geneforge. However, to use it, he needs the help of a Shaper. With our help, you can go to him. He will tell you what he needs, and, in return for your help, he can make you incredibly powerful." Gnorrel probably doesn't have the authority to make such promises on Trajkov's behalf, but you're sure the serviles and the Sholai will promise you anything in order to unlock the power of the Geneforge.

The false Shaper gloves nestled beneath your armor feel like a cold weight.

"How can I meet these Sholai?"

Gnorrel points to the door at the west end of the chamber. "Use the key I gave you. There is a Sholai beyond that door. Speak with him, and he will help you reach Trajkov. Go to Trajkov. He will help you further."

"What language do the Sholai speak?"

"They have their own tongue, but we are mastering it. Find Toivo. He is in the library. He can teach you much of their tongue. It will be necessary before you can deal with Trajkov," Gnorrel says. She's rapidly losing interest in this conversation now that she has what she wants.

"What other help can you give me?"

"Shaper. I am busy. I am trying to help my people survive. My job is done. I was to find you, test you, and send you on to Trajkov. This has happened. Go on to your destiny. I have work to do."

You sigh and walk past her to the locked door without any further pretense of courtesy. For Gnorrel's part, she doesn't stop you or even seem to care. Politesse holds little water in Kazg.



Beyond the door is the customary cistern, flanked defaced Shaper statues. They're covered in dust, but the water smells clean.



In the supply room you find a few choice goods laid out on long counters. More to your taste are the canisters in the back, which improve your command of the war blessing and your ability to shape thahds.

Buoyed by the canister rush, you, check the other rooms for more goods (more canisters) and the Sholai.





You come face to face with one of the outsider humans as he paces around a small chamber. He's not a canister, but he will do.

He says, "I am Tuzenbach, of Sholai. Good to meet Shaper. Gnorrel tell me of you." He is speaking your language, in a very crude way. It is hard to control your disgust and anger. He is, after all, an outsider, invading an area Barred by the Shapers.

You barely manage to swallow that anger down to speak with him properly. As much as you want to slay him and everyone who has sheltered him, you have a bigger picture to consider. It's hard to keep that in mind.

You have to remember. "What are you doing back here?" you ask.

"I wait for you. Trajkov sent me here to await you. Now that you approved by Gnorrel, I can talk to you," he says.

"What do you want to talk to me about?"

"I come from Trajkov. It wants to talk to you. It wants to deal with you. He is deep in mountains to north."

"How can I reach him safely?"

Tuzenbach hands you an amulet. "This is the safe pass. All guards placed in Trajkov's lair not attack if you bear it. Outside its fort, amulet no good. So you must be careful on way."

"How do I get to him?" you ask.

"Trajkov fort is to north. Bridge across river is northwest. Then go north to find great gates. Get more direction there."

"Tell me about your people. I would like to learn more about you."

"I not understand," Tuzenbach says. "You talk to Trajkov. It helps you learn and know us."

You try something else. "Can you teach me more of the language of the Sholai?"

"No understand you. No understand speak well enough to help," he replies.

Well, that's hopeless. You put the amulet on before it can be taken or mislaid, then you repeat your request to learn more about the Sholai people, but in their language this time.

He says something quickly back to you in the Sholai tongue. You don't understand a word. Then he says, in your language, "Sorry. Want to teach, cannot help. Trajkov can help. Trajkov is the knowing one. The leader."

You shake your head. "This island is Barred. Your kind should not be here."

"No understand you. We not want to do bad things here." Tuzenbach shrugs.

That's really all there is to say about it.




You leave the back end of the fortress and wander a while, too weary to move on but too unsettled to rest. Back in the Taker kitchens, you encounter Kaxen again. This time she doesn't draw a knife on you.

She still snarls at you. You ask her why she hates the Shapers so, though you doubt you'll get a different answer from before.

This time, though, Kaxen seems willing to humor you... or maybe she wants to try to shame you. "So hungry, for so many years. I hoped when child that Takers wrong. I wanted to believe in you Shapers and kindness. Then my bonded, he lost. My bonded lost to big fyora who hunt woods to east. Called Bore. He kill him and others. He hunt out there still. We want kill him, but no. You Shapers made creation which killed him, and you left us here with it. You no care about us. So I want to fight your kind, ever!"

The description of the fyora sounds familiar. You've eradicated all the rogues between here and the woods, anyway. "I've slain Bore. Your bonded is avenged."

"And? And what? You think that makes things better? You want reward? Payment? Thanks?" Kaxen spits. "You Shapers should not have left Bore with us in first place. Should not ever have happened. You just do what should have been done years and years ago."

She isn't wrong. You didn't cause any of the events on Sucia Island, and you still prickle at the suggestion that, as the sole representative of the Shapers (if you ignore Goettsch, who still hides in his fortress, clearly dreaming of his own kingdom), you bear responsibility for all that's gone wrong here. But you also can't deny that you've benefited from the research done here, and from the way your people employ Shaping. Modern Shapers have come a long way from the barbarity you've witnessed here, but even a bare novice like yourself can see that changes must be made.

"I'm allied with the Takers. I am not your enemy," you say, knowing it will fall on deaf ears.

Kaxen hisses a dismissal at you.

The tinker workshop is empty when you arrive. You help yourself to some tools -- after all, Gnorrel said all of the Takers' resources are at your disposal.

Kyazo the tinker wanders in after you tuck away one more living tool. She doesn't seem surprised to see you.

"Do you have any devices I can buy?" you ask her. You stuff your hands into your sleeves to hide your unease at being walked in on. Even if Gnorrel gave you the go ahead, you still feel like a sneak thief who's been caught.

"I am using all time just to give Gnorrel all she needs from me. I cannot give weapons or such. Try the merchants. But there is one item I can trade serviles cannot use. But we need help in return," she replies.

Typical. But an item the serviles can't use promises a canister as a reward... "What do you want?"

"South of here are dry, dead Kazg ruins. East of there is old place, where serviles once born and trained by Shapers. It important place to us, both because information is there and because it place to give memory to our ancestors. It is full of creations, though, creations who hate us and are loyal to Shapers. They are young. Something is making them. Destroy who is making them, and I reward you."

She must mean the servile warrens. You've already met the mind there and seen the carnage its rogue guards have wrought. "I'll consider it," you lie, but Kyazo's attention has already wandered away, and soon, so do you.

In Kazg's library, Toivo keeps arranging useless, flaking scrolls. "What else?" he asks.

"What have you learned here?" you ask. Perhaps now he'll be more willing to share with you.

"Less than we want. We try to learn to use Shaper powers, but it just not work. You Shapers make us to not be abIe to use the magic of any sort. But the Sholai, they have no such limits, which is why we try hard to be allies with them. We understand these lands. They have powers. We work together."

An alliance of traitors and interlopers, you want to say. You bite your tongue against it, thinking not only of the canisters' influence on your temper, but also of the serviles who’ve managed to learn some spells. You think you've slain them all. They're too mad and dangerous to live if even Gnorrel won't deal with them.

"Tell me more about the Sholai," you finally say.

"They sail in big ships from over sea to west. Long, hard journey. They have three ships. One not make it. One founder on rocks when first arrive at Sucia. And one destroyed in bad luck when meeting and capsizing you." Toivo snorts. "They have good luck in landing here, though. They find the secrets of Shapers. And they can understand them."

You wouldn't call that good luck. The Sholai have only sealed their doom. Even if you let them be, the mainland Shapers will not. "I would like to deal with the Sholai."

"Then you must talk with them. And so you learn from me. Come close, and I give you lessons. You will be able to talk to them better. Not all you need to learn, but a huge help."

Toivo is a good teacher, and the Shaper mind is well trained to absorb information quickly, especially about languages. Several hours elapse. Eventually, you have gained a fair amount of knowledge about the language of the Sholai. You still have much to learn, but you could now carry on a very simple conversation with one of them.

Solution has actually already gotten this "piece" of language tutoring. That's right, there are three ways to get this particular lesson. One is by just busting into Toivo's tower. The other is by allying with the Awakened and speaking with their spy in eastern Kazg. The final method is to ally with the Takers as shown here and speak to Toivo. I don't think any other lesson has as many alternative methods of acquisition.

The sun is setting, so, as before, you hole up in the abandoned northeastern section of Kazg and rest. Your creations stand guard, but no one disturbs you during the night.



"Any man who tries to be good all the time is bound to come to ruin among the great number who are not good. Hence a prince who wants to keep his authority must learn how not to be good, and use that knowledge, or refrain from using it, as necessity requires," Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince.